Cole-Hamilton: Tayside travails will only worsen if staff are axed

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today warned that slashing staff numbers would be the "worst possible lesson" for beleagured NHS Tayside, following reports over that one in ten will be cut.

The Audit Scotland report NHS in 2018 reported that Tayside had:

Met only one of the eight main NHS targets, including reporting the worst figures for CAMHS patients seen within 18 weeks, the second worst figures for 18 weeks referral to treatment time and being one of only four health boards to fail to see 90% of Drug and alcohol patients within three weeks.

Received tens of millions of pounds in brokerage loans in 2017/18.

The highest percentage of backlog maintenance is classed as significant or high risk (74%) of any health board.

"The public want to know that their health board is turning a corner but that is not going to happen when hundreds of staff are at risk.

"Slashing staff numbers would be completely the wrong lesson to take when the health board is already struggling.

"Patients and staff are being badly let down by this SNP Government's handling of our health service. I will be pressing the Health Secretary as to what can be done to protect and improve services across Tayside."

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